Pocket protector



Nov. 12,1940. c. A. MOORE POCK ET PROTECTOR Filed Oct. 12, 1958 Fi .1. Fig.2. m .3.1m .4. Fig.5.

3nventor CHARLES A. MOORE 521%! f6? Patented Nov. 12, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to devices for making more difficult the business of pocket picking, especially of pocket books containing funds and valuable ware or documents.

The art of pocket picking has been cultivated to such a high degree of perfection that it is seldom the victim realizes he is being deprived of his property. Most frequently, the operation takes place in a crowd, and is accompanied by some jostling or other distracting excitement and while the mind of the victim is momentarily diverted.

The object of the present invention is to provide improved means whereby the article, as a pocket book, watch or other valuable is anchored to a portion of the pocket so that more than merely lifting the article is required. In other words, the anchor must be first detached from the clothing and this requires a special movement of the hand within the pocket and is adapted or likely to attract the attention of the victim before the consummation of the intended theft.

The invention is embodied in the construction, preferred examples of which are herein shown and described and finally pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawing- Figure 1 is an edge view of the device.

Fig. 2 is a view looking at the left hand face of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view illustrating how the anchoring end is opened or separated from the base to permit application of the device to a portion of the pocket.

Fig. 4 is an edge view of the device showing an eyelet applied thereto for anchoring a watch chain.

Fig. 5 is an edge view showing an eyelet applied thereto for anchoring a key ring or key chain.

Fig. 6 illustrates an elevational view showing the device as applied to a pocket book.

Fig. '7 illustrates in vertical section the combination as shown in Fig. 6 as applied to or anchored in a pocket.

The device of my invention as shown is best mainly constructed of a fiat strip of spring steel of suitable thickness and length bent near its middle to form at one side a straight base portion Ill, and at the opposite side a curved resilient portion H for about half the length of said base portion, said curved resilient portion having an extension I2 therefrom provided near its end with a prong or prongs 12 struck from the strip to point toward the base portion It].

The spring of the metal at the junction of the arms tends to hold the pronged one toward the base Ill. Secured to the said pronged arm at the junction of the straight and curved portions l l and I2 is a hard metallic bearing piece [3 conveniently in the form of a rivet having rounded ends, the round end at the side next the base arm constituting a sliding bearing when appropriate pressure is applied to curved portion II. In op- 6 eration, suitable pressure with a thumb of the hand is applied to said portion ll thereby causing the pronged extension to move or kick outward as depicted in Fig. 3 and provide a space between the arms necessary to apply the device 10 to the outer wall H or fabric of the pocket and when such pressure is removed, the portion l2 bearing the prongs is drawn or tends to be drawn into substantial parallel relation to the base and therefore cause the prongs to engage with and 15 anchor the device to the outer wall or fabric ll of the pocket as illustrated in Fig. '7.

In applying the device to a pocket book 191 prefer to use a metallic link [4 (see Fig. 6) pivotally connected with the non-flexing portion l2 by 20 means of a rivet at l5 and to a wall or fly of the pocket book by means of a rivet at Hi. This linking means M can be dispensed with and the pocket book directly connected with the said portion l2 with a pivotal connection, if desired, so as 25 to permit in either case the swinging of the device to a different position with respect to the pocket as illustrated by broken lines in Fig. 6. This construction as shown in Fig. 6 permits the pocket book to be carried in the pocket cross- 30 wise or depth-wise as may be desired.

The forms of the parts can be changed without departing from the gist of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is: 35

Means for obstructing the unlawful removal of an article from the pocket of a garment comprising, in combination, a clip member of spring metal bent to form an arm or base portion and an arm extending generally parallel thereto, said 40 last named arm having an outwardly curved portion constituting a pressure portion extending to substantially the middle of said arm and a nonflexing portion therebeyond having at its free end a spur extending toward said base arm and 45 means for connecting the article to be guarded to the outer side of said non-flexing portion whereby, when the article bearing the clip is inserted in the garment pocket with the clip straddling the free or outer wall of the pocket and said spur 50 engages the inner side of the outer wall of the pocket, the insertion of a hand into the pocket and pressure by the fingers thereof on said pressure portion of the clip is required to release and permit the removal of the article. 55

CHARLES A. MOORE. 

